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Printed leaflets continue to be an important information source in health contexts. Visuals can increase engagement with a leaflet, facilitate understanding, and minimise cognitive load. In this study, two information leaflets, one with and one without infographics, were investigated. The leaflets aimed to inform pregnant people about vaccination against influenza and pertussis. Through a questionnaire, the effects of infographics on the opinion on the leaflet, health beliefs, and vaccination intent were investigated. One hundred and seventy-seven Dutch-speaking pregnant people took part in the study. The visually enhanced leaflet was shown to be better appreciated, reflected by better ratings and higher levels of engagement compared to the textual version. The visually enhanced leaflet also significantly increased vaccination intent for pertussis, but not for influenza. The findings of this study provide insights into how visuals can contribute to effective health communication.

This study aims to identify the optimal combination of process variables for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of electric motor (EM) cores using Fe–50Ni alloy. A thorough analysis of mechanical and magnetic properties, with a focus on its dynamic magnetic performance within 50–500 Hz frequency range, is presented. Optimized process parameters yielded relative densities above 99%. In the as-built condition, high hardness (twice that of conventionally processed alloy) and high ductility (>30% at rupture) were achieved. The as-built samples demonstrated magnetic properties below the requirements, but significant improvement was observed in the semi-static magnetic properties after heat treatment, with acceptable coercivity (44 A/m) and maximum permeability (∼104) attributed to a notable reduction in geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) density. Heat treatment did not significantly reduce the total loss at high flux densities or elevated testing frequencies because the energy loss in the as-built microstructure is lower than what is expected due to the activation of more domain walls resulting in a homogeneous distribution of eddy currents. The superior semi-static performance of the optimum sample is related to its texture, which was more oriented toward the easy axis of magnetization in this alloy ( direction). This research demonstrates the LPBF process's potential for manufacturing electric motor soft cores, providing acceptable surface integrity, roughness levels, and desired coercivity and permeability. However, the high total loss, specifically at elevated frequencies, highlights the need for additional capabilities of LPBF, such as fabricating multi-materials, to mitigate energy losses without resorting solely to heat treatment.

ABSTRACT: Seaweeds have been studied for their ability to reduce enteric methane emissions of ruminants when fed as a feed supplement. In vivo research with dairy cattle is mainly limited to the seaweed species Ascophyllum nodosum and Asparagopsis taxiformis, whereas in vitro gas production research covers a broader range of brown, red, and green seaweed species from different regions. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of Chondrus crispus (Rhodophyta), Saccharina latissima (Phaeophyta), and Fucus serratus (Phaeophyta), 3 common northwest European seaweeds, on enteric methane production and lactational performance of dairy cattle. Sixty-four Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle (16 primiparous, 48 multiparous) averaging (mean ± standard deviation) 91 ± 22.6 d in milk and 35.4 ± 8.13 kg/d fat- and protein-corrected milk yield (FPCM) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a randomized complete block design. Cows were fed a partial mixed ration [54.2% grass silage, 20.8% corn silage, and 25.0% concentrate; dry matter (DM) basis] with additional concentrate bait in the milking parlor and the GreenFeed system (C-Lock Inc.). The 4 treatments consisted of a control diet without seaweed supplement (CON), or CON supplemented with 150 g/d (fresh weight of dried seaweed) of either C. crispus (CC), S. latissima (SL), or a 50/50 mix (DM basis) of F. serratus and S. latissima. Milk yield (28.7 vs. 27.5 kg/d, respectively), fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) yield (31.4 vs. 30.2 kg/d, respectively), milk lactose content (4.57 vs. 4.52%, respectively), and lactose yield (1,308 vs. 1,246 g/d, respectively) increased for SL compared with CON. Milk protein content was lower for SL compared with the other treatments. Milk fat and protein contents; yields of fat, protein, lactose, and FPCM; feed efficiency; milk nitrogen efficiency; and somatic cell count did not differ between CON and the other treatments. Depending on week of experiment, milk urea content was higher for SL compared with CON and CC. No effects were observed of the treatments compared with CON for DM intake, number of visits to the GreenFeed, or gas emission (production, yield, or intensity) of CO2, CH4, and H2. In conclusion, the seaweeds evaluated did not decrease enteric CH4 emissions and did not negatively affect feed intake and lactational performance of dairy cattle. Milk yield, FPCM yield, milk lactose content, and lactose yield increased, and milk protein content decreased, with S. latissima.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often results in persistent attention and memory deficits that are associated with hippocampal dysfunction. Although deep brain stimulation (DBS) is used to treat neurological disorders related to motor dysfunction, the effectiveness of stimulation to treat cognition remains largely unknown. In this study, adult male Harlan Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a lateral fluid percussion or sham injury followed by implantation of bipolar electrodes in the medial septal nucleus (MSN) and ipsilateral hippocampus. In the first week after injury, there was a significant decrease in hippocampal theta oscillations that correlated with decreased object exploration and impaired performance in the Barnes maze spatial learning task. Continuous 7.7 Hz theta stimulation of the medial septum significantly increased hippocampal theta oscillations, restored normal object exploration, and improved spatial learning in injured animals. There were no benefits with 100 Hz gamma stimulation, and stimulation of sham animals at either frequency did not enhance performance. We conclude, therefore, that there was a theta frequency-specific benefit of DBS that restored cognitive function in brain-injured rats. These data suggest that septal theta stimulation may be an effective and novel neuromodulatory therapy for treatment of persistent cognitive deficits following TBI.

Superior sagittal sinus (SSS) thrombosis has high morbidity and mortality, and urgent recanalization is critical for severe cases. Standard endovascular techniques for thrombolysis and thrombectomy use retrograde venous access, an approach that may be unsuccessful in cases with extensive firm clot burden involving the dural sinuses distal to the SSS. An anterior open transcranial approach to the SSS for catheter sheath placement to facilitate antegrade mechanical thrombectomy and thrombolysis of the SSS and more distal sinuses has not been previously described. Here we describe a case in which multiple unsuccessful attempts at retrograde endovascular access were attempted. Thus, a burr hole over the anterior SSS was performed for daily endovascular antegrade procedures using the Angiojet rheolytic catheter device and chemical thrombolysis. Near-complete recanalization of the SSS was achieved with venous outflow via dilated left transverse and left sigmoid sinuses, along with significant collateral flow in multiple cerebral veins.

AimTo study the risks and benefits of intracerebroventricular (ICV) opiate pumps for the management of benign head and face pain.MethodsSSix patients with refractory trigeminal neuralgia and/or cluster headaches were evaluated for implantation of an ICV opiate infusion pump using either ICV injections through an Ommaya reservoir or external ventricular drain. Four patients received morphine ICV pumps and two patientS received a hydromorphone pump. Of the Four patients with morphine ICV pumps, one patient had the medication changed to hydromorphone. Preoperative and post-operative visual analog scores (VAS) were obtained. Patients were evaluated post-operatively for a minimum of 3 mo and the pump dosage was adjusted at each outpatient clinic visit according to the patient's pain level.ResultsAll 6 patients had an intracerebroventricular opiate injection trial period, using either an Ommaya reservoir or an external ventricular drain. There was an average VAS improvement of 75.8%. During the trial period, no complications were observed. Pump implantation was performed an average of 3.7 wk (range 1-7) after the trial injections. After implantation, an average of 20.7 ± 8.3 dose adjustments were made over 3-56 mo after surgery to achieve maximal pain relief. At the most recent follow-up (26.2 mo, range 3-56), VAS scores significantly improved from an average of 7.8 ± 0.5 (range 6-10) to 2.8 ± 0.7 (range 0-5) at the final dose (mean improvement 5.0 ± 1.0, P < 0.001). All patients required a stepwise increase in opiate infusion rates to achieve maximal benefit. The most common complications were nausea and drowsiness, both of which resolved with pump adjustments. On average, infusion pumps were replaced every 4-5 years.ConclusionThese results suggest that ICV delivery of opiates may potentially be a viable treatment option for patients with intractable pain from trigeminal neuralgia or cluster headache.

Enteric methane (CH4) is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions from ruminants. The red seaweeds Asparagopsis taxiformis (AT) and Asparagopsis armata contain halogenated compounds, including bromoform (CHBr3), which may strongly decrease enteric CH4 emissions. Bromoform is known to have several toxicological effects in rats and mice and is quickly excreted by the animals. This study investigated the transfer of CHBr3 present in AT to milk, urine, feces, and animal tissue when incorporated in the diet of dairy cows. Twelve lactating Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were randomly assigned to three treatment groups, representing the target dose (low), 2× target dose (medium), and 5× target dose (high). The adaptation period lasted seven days, and subsequently cows were fed AT for 22 days maximally. The transfer of CHBr3 to the urine at days 1 and 10 (10–148 µg/L) was found with all treatments. On day 1, CHBr3 was detected in the milk of most cows in the low and medium treatment groups (9.1 and 11 µg/L, respectively), and detected in the milk of one cow in the high treatment group on day 9 (35 µg/L). Bromoform was not detected in milk and urine at day 17, nor at concentrations above the detection limit in feces and collected animal tissues. Two animals (low) were sacrificed, and their rumen wall showed abnormalities. Upon histological examination, signs of inflammation became visible. Animals regularly refused the feed or distinctively selected against AT. In conclusion, within the confines of the present experiment, CHBr3 does not accumulate in animal tissue, but can be excreted in urine and milk.

The aim of the experiment was to study the formation and impact of bromoform metabolites from Asparagopsis taxiformis on in vitro rumen fermentation parameters and microbial composition over time. Rumen fluid from three rumen fistulated lactating Holstein-Friesian dairy cows was collected and after buffering used as inoculum. Cows were fed a total mixed ration of grass silage, corn silage and concentrate. In total 0.5 g dry matter (DM) of substrate was incubated, consisting of either 0.3 g DM grass silage and 0.2 g DM corn silage (Control) or 0.295 g DM grass silage, 0.195 g DM corn silage and 0.01 g DM A. taxiformis (ASP). Substrates were incubated for 72 h. Total gas production (TGP) was measured continuously and methane (CH4) at 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 h. After 72 h, volatile fatty acids (VFA), ammonia (NH3), and pH were determined. Substrates (Table 1) and contents of additional bottles at specific timepoints were analyzed for bromoform (CHBr3), dibromomethane (CH2Br2), bromomethane (CH3Br), dibromochloromethane (CHBr2Cl), arsenic (As), bromine (Br) and iodine (I). RNA was isolated and sequenced with specific primers for bacteria, archaea and protozoa. Data were averaged per inoculum and analyzed with an ANOVA to test for differences between treatments. Preliminary results revealed no difference between Control and ASP in TGP (mL/g organic matter; OM) after 72 h (P = 0.102), whereas CH4 (mL/g OM) was 78% less in ASP than in Control (P = 0.005). Total VFA (tVFA) did not differ between Control and ASP (P = 0.435). Acetate (% tVFA) was lower in ASP (49.2 vs 56.6; P = 0.011), and branched VFA (% tVFA) greater in ASP than in Control (5.8 vs 3.8; P = 0.001). At 72 h, NH3 (mg/L) and pH did not differ between ASP and Control (P = 0.183 and 0.519, respectively). After 1 h of incubation CHBr3 concentration was 118 ng/mL, rapidly decreasing below detection limit by 8 h of incubation. At 1 h of incubation CH2Br2 concentration was 22 ng/mL, reaching 40 ng/mL at 4 h of incubation and remained relatively stable thereafter. At any timepoint CH3Br concentration was below detection limit. At 12 h of incubation CHBr2Cl concentration was 3.7 ng/ mL and remained relatively stable. Mineral concentrations (As, I, Br) were constant throughout incubation. Addition of 2% DM A. taxiformis effectively reduced CH4 production without negative effects on TGP and tVFA in vitro. While CHBr3 disappeared quickly and CH2Br2 concentration increased, substantial formation of CH3Br in hydrogenation reactions by methanogens seemed absent. Levels of Br did not change, suggesting no substantial Br vaporization through secondary metabolites. Microbial composition data are pending analyses and will be presented at the symposium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This dataset describes the temporal patterns of enteric gas production from cattle in response to ruminal infusions of synthetic bromoform (CHBr3). Four non-lactating, non-pregnant, rumen-fistulated Holstein-Friesian cows (12 yr of age, 781 ± 33 kg body weight) were infused via the rumen fistula with 592 mg CHBr3/d in an aqueous solution for 14 d. The daily dose was divided into 3 equal portions and infused every 8 h over a 24-h period (0545, 1345, and 2145 h). The 7 d following the infusion period served as a recovery period to describe the dynamics of enteric gas production after cessation of infusion. The Greenfeed system was used for enteric gas measurements. Animals had ad libitum access to grass hay and were supplemented with concentrate through the Greenfeed system for the infusion and recovery periods and for the 14-d adaptation period before the infusions. A two-way ANOVA was performed with phase (pre- and post-infusion) as fixed effect and animal as random effect to assess average differences. Preliminary results show a decrease in methane (CH4) production from on average 371 g/d before the infusions to 5 g/d after 14 d of infusions (P < 0.01). Hydrogen (H2) production increased from on average 0.6 g/d before the infusions to 9.0 g/d after 14 d of infusions (P < 0.01). Dry matter intake (DMI) decreased to on average 12.8 kg/d after 14 d of infusions compared with 16.9 kg/d before the infusions (P < 0.01). A four-parameter logistic model was fitted for the response of CH4 (CH4-inf) and H2 (H2-inf) production in the 14 d after the first infusion, and separately for the response of CH4 (CH4-rec) and H2 (H2-rec) production in the 7 d after the last infusion (Table 1). Preliminary results indicate a 95% decrease in CH4-inf from the A-asymptote (small values of x) is reached after approximately 63 h, and a 95% increase in H2-inf from the B-asymptote (large values of x) is reached after approximately 49 h. After the last infusion, the 95% increase in CH4-rec from the B-asymptote is reached after approximately 109 h, and the 95% decrease in H2-rec from the A-asymptote is reached after approximately 112 h. When comparing the respective inflection points (xmid), the recovery of CH4 production took approximately 3 times longer than the decrease. In addition, after 7 d of recovery, CH4 production did not return to the initial levels before the infusion began. The reduced DMI can partially explain this difference in CH4 recovery; however, other factors cannot be excluded. In conclusion, our data suggest that ruminal infusion of 592 mg CHBr3/d for 14 d reduces CH4 production by >95% and the recovery of CH4 production to pre-infusion levels might take longer than 7 d. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]